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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28012188">Papa</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/AugustStone/pseuds/AugustStone'>AugustStone</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Dragon Age II</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 20:49:05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>901</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28012188</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/AugustStone/pseuds/AugustStone</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>I wrote this a long time ago and just recently re-found it, this was back before I actually played the game so please forgive any mistakes I may have made</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Fenris/Female Hawke</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Papa</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Y/N had always wanted a child. </p><p>That’s what he kept telling himself. He wanted you to be happy no matter what...even if your pregnancy had blindsided him. It was true, you had told him about it but he hadn’t believed you, thinking you were joking...</p><p> A few weeks later he realized you weren’t. </p><p> He did his best not to panic in front of you but in the back of his mind, there was a red light flashing and a warning horn screeching.  He had visited healer after healer, learning all he could about childbirth so he could make it as comfortable as he could as he knew you'd be in a lot of pain. </p><p> It had been one of the longest nights of his life but seeing the look on your face as you held your child made him smile and realize it had all been worth it. Your face had fallen just a bit when Fenris had refused to hold the child but you had been half-expecting that. </p><p> He was all right with physical affection with you but someone else...it would take some time. </p><p> You did everything as the mother. </p><p> Changed them, fed them, rocked them comforted them...it was as if Fenris wasn’t really needed anyway so he didn’t try to join in. A part of him was too afraid to. Even after having the child for a year he still couldn’t believe that he was a father. </p><p> He certainly didn’t feel like one. </p><p> You had worried over this for quite some time. It wasn’t as if Fenris didn’t help at all, oh no. He would get up when the baby cried late into the night and help feed them when you were busy but...he just wouldn’t interact with them. </p><p> He wouldn’t play games or hold them and did his best to avoid even touching the baby at times. It was distressing of course but...you did your best to hold together. Fenris had problems of course but..you had hoped it wouldn’t take this long for him to come around. </p><p> Still, you kept your hopes up and did your best. </p><p> He would come around. </p><p> You knew he would. <br/> ________</p><p> Fenris had had a long day and his back was sore from all the fighting he'd done. It’s true the Darkspawn hadn’t been a problem of late but the bandits sure seemed to be getting worse. Not that it mattered, of course, he would beat anyone’s head in if they were transporting slaves. </p><p> While he had been tired he couldn’t sleep and found himself up late at night, sitting at his desk trying to lull himself to sleep by reading what he could. He had peeked in on you earlier and saw you fast asleep with your child sleeping next to you. </p><p>They were almost two if he remembered right. Had started walking just a few months ago, again, if he remembered right. He sighed and rubbed his temples. Maker he was a lousy father...he was surprised he even knew his child’s name. </p><p> They had pointy little ears like him and he thought that was cute. They bobbed up and down when they walked as if their feet were too big for them. There were things he liked about his child...why couldn’t he bring himself to tell them? </p><p> He wasn’t blind, he knew what he was doing was wrong but...he didn’t know how to stop. </p><p> Was it that unbelievable? </p><p> His thoughts were interrupted by a tug on his shirt. He blinked and looked down. </p><p> It was his child.</p><p> He froze, that horn in the back of his mind screeching again. He had no idea what to do or even say. His child couldn’t talk and was even swaying a bit on their new-found legs. Were they supposed to be out of bed? How did they even get in here without you noticing-</p><p> In the middle of these thoughts, they looked up at him, eyes of your color staring up at him and raised their arms as if asking to be held. Fenris didn’t know what to do, holding them would cause him so much-</p><p> “Papa..?”</p><p> Fenris' mouth actually dropped open. </p><p> “Papa.” the child said again, their arms reaching for him, fingers grasping. Fenris didn’t know his baby could talk and that’s when he realized it. </p><p> “That....that's your first word...isn’t it?” His voice was so quiet even he hadn’t heard it. You had always been there for them, every step of the way, loving and nurturing and caring. Fenris had been the exact opposite and still, his child’s first word had been “Papa”. </p><p> Fenris covered his mouth completely in shock before he felt a single tear slide down his cheek. And at that moment, he knew exactly what to do. No more questions, no more muddled thoughts and time spent away from his child. </p><p> No. </p><p> In that one simple word, his child had shown him, love. So much in just one word that he was drowning in it. In that one simple moment, his heart opened and he took his child into his arms and held them close. It didn’t matter if it was uncomfortable. It didn’t matter if he had messed up all this time. What mattered was taking care of his baby. <br/>Love covered a multitude of things. </p><p>And he would make up for the time he had lost.</p>
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